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Good arguments on all sides of this issue.
I would add that the PERCEPTION here, when one guy walks around with an "evil black rifle" is "Newtown" and "Aurora," because people are not used to seeing anyone doing this as a normal occurance: Media-hype has made this an aberration.
Maybe someone could only afford one firearm, and they are not good with a pistol, but wish to be able to defend themselves (wherever they might legally be). For this, an AR/AK is logical, but not PC.
Now, how about somewhere else, where it is expected, encouraged, and where it works:
and
Israel: They haven't had a school shooting since the '70s.
Yes, what this guy did was legal, but smart? I agree that it was not.
If we want to convince people that "guns are not bad" then we need to educate the fence-sitters, not only as to proposed legislation, but also current (selectively enforced) laws, and also to get them to handling them - to overcome the fear engendered by movies and news stories.
Inviting novices to the range is good, and necessary, but how do we educate folks more widely about the tools and the laws?
It seems to me that a "Weapons Fair" at some urban/suburban parks might be in order: Have tables set up with guns (and other tools), with firearms "experts" to show people how they work, how to safely handle them (let them touch them), and then invite them to a shooting event at a range somewhere. Have displays set up, listing rights/current laws/proposed laws, and expected second- and third-order effects of proposed legislation. Have citeable statistics available.
The point here is to educate those who don't know, to refute the arguments of the anti's with reasoned logic and supportable statistics, and to do it somewhere that would draw curious crowds. This won't happen at a "Gun Show," nor at the usual "2nd Amendment Event" where there are lots of scary-looking folks (with scary-looking guns) holding signs challenging the govt. to "come and take them." Then perhaps guys like the one this thread started over wouldn't feel the need (or have the justification) to do what he does.
Esther Short Park in Vancouver would be one excellent starting point.
After all, Bloomberg has a bus.
I would add that the PERCEPTION here, when one guy walks around with an "evil black rifle" is "Newtown" and "Aurora," because people are not used to seeing anyone doing this as a normal occurance: Media-hype has made this an aberration.
Maybe someone could only afford one firearm, and they are not good with a pistol, but wish to be able to defend themselves (wherever they might legally be). For this, an AR/AK is logical, but not PC.
Now, how about somewhere else, where it is expected, encouraged, and where it works:
and
Israel: They haven't had a school shooting since the '70s.
Yes, what this guy did was legal, but smart? I agree that it was not.
If we want to convince people that "guns are not bad" then we need to educate the fence-sitters, not only as to proposed legislation, but also current (selectively enforced) laws, and also to get them to handling them - to overcome the fear engendered by movies and news stories.
Inviting novices to the range is good, and necessary, but how do we educate folks more widely about the tools and the laws?
It seems to me that a "Weapons Fair" at some urban/suburban parks might be in order: Have tables set up with guns (and other tools), with firearms "experts" to show people how they work, how to safely handle them (let them touch them), and then invite them to a shooting event at a range somewhere. Have displays set up, listing rights/current laws/proposed laws, and expected second- and third-order effects of proposed legislation. Have citeable statistics available.
The point here is to educate those who don't know, to refute the arguments of the anti's with reasoned logic and supportable statistics, and to do it somewhere that would draw curious crowds. This won't happen at a "Gun Show," nor at the usual "2nd Amendment Event" where there are lots of scary-looking folks (with scary-looking guns) holding signs challenging the govt. to "come and take them." Then perhaps guys like the one this thread started over wouldn't feel the need (or have the justification) to do what he does.
Esther Short Park in Vancouver would be one excellent starting point.
After all, Bloomberg has a bus.